Belt-tightener.



No. 678,342. f Patented My 9, l90l. w. u. JOHNSON.

BELT TIGHTENER.

(Application filed Jul. 2, 1901.) 1 (No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet l.

m: Nomus versus co vricramnq. WASMIN'BTON. n. c.

Patented July 9, 1901.

W. H. JOHNSON. BELT TIGHTENER. m-m6 filed Jan. 2, 1901.

2 Sh091i-$h66t .2.

(No Model.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. OHNSON, OF GARTI-IAGE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO W. W. CALHOON,J. A. MITCHELL, J. F. HARRISON, AND O. A. BLAIR, OF

SAME PLACE.

BELT-TIG HTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,342, dated July 9,1901.

- It is furthermore designed to have the device adjustable, so as toaccommodate the same to belts of different widths, and also to provideimproved means for operating the device, so as to render the stretchingand tightening operation easy and efiective.

With these and other'objects in view the' present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views, respectively, ofthe preferred and modified forms of a belt-tightener constructed inaccordance with the present invention. I Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view of Fig. 2, taken in advance of-and looking at theoperating-lever. Fig. 4 is an end elevation, parts being broken awaytoshow the mounting of the belt-clamp. Fig. 5 is a reverse plan view ofone of the members of the preferred form of the device. Fig. 6 is a dctail transverse sectional View taken through one of the clamps. Fig. 7is a detail per-. spective view of oneof the adjustable links oftheclamp.

Like characters of reference designate cor responding parts in all ofthe figures of the drawings.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2, 3, and 4. of the drawings, itwill be seen that the present device comprises two members 1 andApplication filed January 2 1901. Serial No. 41.844. (F0 model.)

2, which have substantially triangular frames arranged in oppositerelation with their bases at the opposite outer ends of the device. Oneof the members-as, for instance, 1-has a ratchet-bar 3, projectedforwardly from its inner apex and extended across the top of the othermember, the latter being designed to travelin opposite directions uponthe ratchetbar. An operating-lever 4 has its lower end forked, so as tostraddle the ratchet-bar and the adjacent end of the member 2, to whichit is pivotally connected by means of a transverse pivot-pin 5. edbetween the sides of the forked portion of the lever and above theratchet-bar upon a transverse pivot-pin 7 and projects forwardly fromthe lever. To hold the dog in yieldable engagement with the ratchet-bar,there is provided a loop-shaped spring 8, which has its intermediateportion bearing downwardly upon the top of the outer free end of the dogand its opposite ends coiled about or otherwise connected to theprojecting ends of the pivot-pin 7. In rear of the lever there is asubstantially U-shaped ratchet-dog 9, which straddles the ratchet-barand has its lower opposite ends pivoted to the projecting ends of thepivot-pin 5, which connects the operatinglever to the member 2. Thelower edge of the transverse portion of this dog is designed to engagethe ratchet-teeth of the bar, so that the pivot-pin 5 may form thefulcrum of the lever when it is being thrown backward for a newengagement with the ratchet-bar. In the forward movement the pivotalconnection between the upper dog and the lever forms the fulcrum for thelatter. The dog 9 is yieldingly held in engagement with the ratchet-barby means of a spring 10, which has its intermediate portion twistedabout one projecting end of the pivot-pin 5 and its opposite endportions lland 12 connected to the dog 9 and the adjacent end of theupper pivot-pin 7. It will also be noted that one end of the loop-shapedspring 8 is extended upwardly, as at 13, and

provided with a terminal hook 14, which embraces the front edge of thelever, so as to give a downward tension upon the looped portion of thespring.

For connecting the ends of a belt to the opposite ends of the deviceeach end bar is pro A ratchet-clog 6 is mount vided with a clampconsisting of a pair of substantially U-shaped and inverted links 15,which slidably embrace the bar, so as to be adjusted longitudinally uponthe end bar, and between the opposite pendent ends of each link there ispivoted a cam 16, having a suitable handle 17 for the convenientmanipulation thereof. A loose clamping-bar 18 is thrust endwise throughthe opposite links and rests upon the upper peripheral edges of theopposite cams, the shortest radius of each cam being normally toward thebar, the normal position of the cam being that which it occupies whenthe clamp is open, so that there may be a space between the fixed andmovable bars for the reception of the end portion of the belt 19, whichis thrust longitudinallyin ward and transverselybetween the two bars,after which the cams are turned to force the movable bar toward thefixed bar, whereby the end of the belt is fixedly connected to thedevice. Both ends of the belt being thus connected to the opposite endsof the tightener, the lever is manipulated so as to draw the two members1 and 2 together, consequently drawing together the ends of the beltuntil they are in position for being laced or otherwise connected, suchconnection being made while the tightener holds the ends of the belt,after which the end clamps are released from the belt and the loose bars18 removed endwise from the links, so that the stretcher or tightenermay be taken from the belt.

The preferred form of the device, which has been shown in Figs. 1, 5, 6,and 7, has the oppositely-disposed substantially triangular members 1and 2, which are slidably connected and also provided with precisely thesame form of operating mechanism as hereinbefore described for themodified form of the device, the diiference between the two forms beingprincipally in the structure thereof, while their general featuresremain the same. Each member of the preferred form comprises a pair ofloose and entirely separate superposed clamp-bars 20 and 21, which arepreferably formed of wood and are substantially rectangular in shape.These bars are also of substantially the same length and are connectedbya pair of loops or links 22, which slidably embrace the bars, so as tobe conveniently adjusted longitudinally thereon to accommodate thedevice to belts of difierent widths, as hereinbefore described.Moreover, the length of each link is somewhat greater than the combinedthicknesses of the two bars, so as to permit of the separation thereofto receive a belt between the same, and the shape of each link isrectangular or oblong to fit the bars and prevent lateral loosenessthereof. As best shown in Fig. 7, each link is formed from a singlestrap of metal which is bent into the form of an oblong loop or linkhaving its end portions bent laterally inward in opposite directions, soas to form the shoulders 23, which constitute the lower end of the link.These shoulders terminate short of each other, so as to form a slot oropening in the lower end of the link, and have their ends bent orextended outwardly, so as to form the opposite bearing-ears 24, betweenwhich is pivotally mounted a handled cam 25, that projects through theslot or opening in the end of the link and bears against the bottom ofthe lower clamp-bar 21, whereby the latter may be forced upwardlyagainst the upper clamp-bar. A wear-plate or strip of metal 26 issecured longitudinally to the bottom of the lower clamp-bar, so as toreceive the wear of the respective cams, and thereby protect the woodenbar. Projecting laterally outward from the inner side of the link andlocated substantially midway between the opposite ends thereof is aperforate car 27, which is formed by a folded portion of said inner sideof the link and is designed for the connection of the adjacent rod-28,which has a terminal hook or eye 29, that is loosely engaged with theperforation of the ear to provide a loose or hinged connection betweenthe rod and the clamp. It will of course be understood that the clampsmay be cast as well as formed from single straps of metal.

The rods 28 of each member of the device converge inwardly from theclamp and are provided with the outer terminal hooks or eyes 30, whichreceive a single ring or link 31, whereby the rods are mutuallyconnected and a substantially triangular member is formed. 1

For the adjustable connection of the opposite clamp members there areprovided the two substantially rectangular, longitudinallyoverlapped,and slidably-connected bars 32 and 33, which are provided at theirrespective outer ends with the hooks 34 and 35 for detachable connectionwith the rings or links 31 of the adjacent clamp members. One of thesebars-as, for instance, the bar 32is provided with ratchet-teeth and hasa looped guide 36 slidably embracing the other bar and located at theinner terminal of the ratchet-bar, so as to slidably connect the twobars.

As hereinbefore set forth, the operating mechanism is the same in bothforms of the device, and, as shown in Fig. 1, the operating-lever 4straddles the intermediate portion of the ratchet-bar 32 and ispivotally connected to the inner end of the other bar 33, so that theratchet-dogs may cooperate with the ratchet-bar in precisely the samerelation as in the modified form of the device.

The advantage of the preferred form of the tightener resides in theloose and detachable connections of the several parts thereof, wherebythe clamps may be engaged separately with the opposite ends of a beltand then the connecting-bars hooked into the respective rings thereof,so as to facilitate the application of the device. Moreover, the partsmay be separated, so as to be packed or stored in compact form when notin use,

and the loose or flexible connections will permit the device toaccommodate itself to any particular application thereof.

What is claimed is- Abelt-tightener, comprising opposite members havingbelt-clamps, a ratchet-bar carried by one member and overlapping theother member, an operating-lever having a forked end which straddles theratchet-bar, a pivotpin connecting the forked end of the lever with saidother member and projecting at opposite ends beyond the lever, aratchet-dog located between the fork members of the lever, a' pivot-pinconnecting the dog to the lever and projected at opposite sides of thelatter, a loop-shaped spring straddling the dog and having its oppositesides coiled upon the projecting ends of the last-named pivot-pin, oneend of the spring being extended and conof the second-mentionedpivot-pin.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR F. SMITH, J. F. HARRISON.

